Instructions

Make the dough by adding the starter and the water to a large bowl. Use a fork to whisk them together well.

Add the flour and salt, and use the fork to combine well. Stir until the mixture comes together into a basic rough dough and you’ve incorporated the flour well. You can finish mixing by hand to incorporate all of the flour as needed.

Cover the bowl with a clean damp kitchen towel, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on your schedule.

While the dough is resting, feed your starter and store it according to your preference.

After the dough has rested, use your hands to gently pull the edge of the dough near the side of the bowl and push it down into the middle of the bowl. Do this, rotating round the bowl, until the dough starts to look like bread dough and comes together in more of a ball. This should take about a minute of going round the bowl 4 to 5 times, pulling and tucking into the center.

Cover the bowl with the damp kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for 3 to 6 hours at room temperature, about 70℉ (21℃). The timing here is very flexible and can work with your schedule.

After the dough has rested, remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide the dough into 4 equal parts.

Preheat your oven to 450℉ (230℃).

You’ll need a baking stone or cookie sheet to bake your pizza on. If you don’t have a baking stone, you can turn your biggest cookie sheet upside down (so that the flat side is up) or use a rimless sheet. If you are using a stone, let the stone heat for 30 minutes in the oven. If using a baking sheet, let it heat for 10 minutes in the hot oven.

Tear 4 pieces of parchment paper from the roll that are about 12 inches wide.

While holding one piece of dough in two hands, gently press it between your thumb and fingers to start forming it into a flat disc by hand. When the dough is about a 5-inch wide circle, place it on one piece of parchment paper.

Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Return to the first piece of dough that has been resting while you worked with the other pieces, and use the tips of your fingers to gently push the dough into a wider even circle.

If the dough is springing back into shape when you are trying to make it flatten out into the flat crust shape, work with it for a minute, and then move on to shaping the other pieces. Letting them rest a little in between shaping will make them easier to work with.

When all 4 crusts are about ¼ inch thick and roughly an 8-inch circle. Top them evenly with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni.

When the pizzas are all ready, working with one pizza at a time, slide the pizza still sitting on the parchment paper onto a rimless cookie sheet or one that is upside down. This will help you get the pizza to the oven.

Open the oven and slide the pizza which is still on the parchment paper, from the cookie sheet onto the hot baking stone or hot cookie sheet. I just tug on the edge of the parchment paper with my hands and slide it onto the stone. BE CAREFUL! Your oven is set to 450 degrees. It’s super hot!

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the top is bubbly and the edges are starting to brown. When the pizza is done, tug the edge of the parchment paper and slide the pizza back onto the cookie sheet you used to transfer it to the oven. Again, be careful!

Repeat with remaining pizzas.

Slice and serve the pizza hot.

Notes

I’ve found it’s easier to make a couple of smaller pizzas than working with a larger amount of dough to make larger pizzas.

Feel free to double this recipe if needed.

If you aren’t up for moving the pizza in and out of the hot oven, you can simply spread out your dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and make your pizza on top of the baking sheet. Then place the prepared pan in the hot oven and allow to bake; the pizza will take 5 minutes longer to cook this way.

If your pizza stone is large enough, you can bake 2 pizzas at a time.

Feel free to change up the toppings to your liking; you have a ton of flexibility here.